CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
POSTED BY DAVID CLOHESSY ON AUGUST 20, 2013
Tomorrow, a California legislative panel will vote on SB 131, a measure that would make it easier for child sex abuse victims to expose child molesters in court.
Leading the charge against the measure: California’s Catholic bishops.
The highest ranking prelate in the state, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, claims that the bill
–“fails to protect all victims of childhood sexual abuse” (So if a bill doesn’t protect EVERYONE or fix EVERYTHING, it should be defeated?)
–“discriminates against Catholic schools” (Really? The bill doesn’t mention Catholic schools.)
–“discriminates against other private employers” (No, the bill focuses on private employers because that’s where history and common sense tell us abuse is more apt to be covered up. That’s not “discrimination,” that’s smart public policy.)
–“puts the Church’s social services and educational mission at risk” (Really? That’s what virtually every bishop says every time anyone proposes reforming the archaic, arbitrary, predator-friendly statute of limitations.)
Gomez isn’t the only Catholic official who’s wrong about this. The bishops’ lead public relations guy, Kevin Eckery, claims “Nobody who may have been abused in a public daycare will have any rights under this law whatsoever.”
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